Bury Me Shallow, Ill be Back
by Thornforg
Summary: Only months after Requiem, a distress signal is sent to ONI from Reach. Upon the Master Chief taking recon the planet discovers that Spartan 039, Isaac, in fact is not MIA. A strenuous relationship begins as a mentally broken Spartan tries to become apart of the UNSC once again. [ACTIVE] [Slash]
1. Distress Call

**September 23, 2557**

 **Aboard the UNSC INFINITY**

 **LOCATION:**

 **Epsilon Eridani System**

 **Planet Reach**

Fires still roared against the planet's surface, the once beautiful planet now glassed and empty against the darkness of space. The coordinates still pulsing on their battle map, the Captain was wary of them. How could an emergency beacon be activated manually from a top secret base? Let alone ONI sending the exploration vessel the coordinates for the beacon. "Roland." The man spoke, hands clasped behind his back as he turned to look for the AI. His bomber uniform quickly materialized as he stood there, turning to his uneasy Captain. "Set course for CASTLE Base." He huffed, looking towards the AI.

"Captain, is this wise?" He asked curiously, pondering his Captains thought process on this. Not only did this scream trap from a rouge Covenant vessel.. but no human had set itself on Reach since its downfall.

"The UNSC has requested our assistance in this matter. I believe we should at least investigate the matter and dismantle the beacon to stop other ships from falling into such and obvious trap." He huffed. He did not like the idea of going head on into a trap; how not having an option in the matter they had no choice.

"And the Chief, sir?" He asked, tilting his head. Lasky was quiet for a long moment before he heaved a heavy sigh, staring off at the desolate planet.

"I'm sure the Chief would like to see his home one last time. Destroyed or not.

The Pelican's heavy fueled jets had pushed aside what was left of the foliage of the trees, the overgrown landing pad leaving the large ship unsteadily perched. Soft snow flakes fell from the sky, leaving the air dry and icy. Boots set in on the ground. The clack of armor in the silent air didn't even seem to travel. There was no wildlife to settle their minds. Just the hum of the winds and ever more silent patter of snow touching down beneath their feet. The Master Chief was the last out of the bird- holding onto the hull as he stood in the bulkhead. He stared for a long moment, taking in what used to be his home. The hair raised on the back of his neck at the familiarity of the scene. Though burnt and dismantled buildings almost made his heart sink. _Almost._

"Let's move out." The Chief instructed as he stepped heavily into the ground and prepared his Magnum. It had been five years since the fall of the planet. One of the biggest attacks on the human species had almost been the downfall of their entire military, but thankfully, it had turned the tide of the war. The Chief had inspected the grounds that they had walked on. Scorched bodies laid at their feet, nothing but bodies and rusted armor. A few of the ODSTs that had partook in recovery opt commented on what a shit show that this glassing had been nearly drew the Spartan to anger. He kept his cool as they walked through the destruction. It was strange to see such a battle, so heated and fast paced that... this was all that was left. Ships put down into the ground, heavy fires still raging off in the distance in the mountains... the Chief felt a pang of nostalgia deep within him. Though the feeling was fleeting and he continued on with his team.

When they came upon the last known entrance of the CASTLE base, the Chief had scanned the remains of the building. The mountain had collapsed within the tunnel. "Should we blast it.?" A ODST asked, turning to the others. There was no other way inside. The Spartan stood for a long moment, snow building up on the outside of his visor before he nodded.

"Set the demo charges. We need to disable the beacon before we can sort through any of this rumble." He explained. Letting the marines get to work, he sat back and admired the view. Although destroyed- the view on top of the mountain was truly breathtaking. Shattered buildings clouded the riverbanks below. Human and Covenant ships alike scattered down below. The flashbacks of the war were still fresh within the SPARTANs mind.

Dirt rained down against his back and head- the shake of the earths crust being penetrated had caused his goosebumps that prickled on his skin before he turned to admire the men's work. Another charge set to blow quickly, penetrating deeper within the base beneath. It took upwards to an hour to move the fallen crust, but they had finally come to a small hole in which they could slip through to continue their exploration.

Though something suddenly felt.. off. The emergency power was flickering. The generators were powered up. And seeing how dim the lights were it was easy to say that they had been at the end of their usage. The recon team had quickly shouldered their weapons as the Chief dropped down to scan the area. This was all very strange. A distress beacon from a planet that had been glassed nearly five years ago, generators that had been at the end of their lifespan... what was going on?

"Spread out, keep on your toes." The Chief had instructed as he set a slow pace. The ODSTs has responded quickly. There was no idea to tell what was going on here... the covenant had figured out how to bypass their security systems. This much was clear. But it got stranger and stranger as they continued to drive deeper. A console that he had strictly remembered Halsey using before evacuating Reach had been rigged with the back up generators... packs of MREs had been left in a pile not far off, polished off bottles of water were dumped lazily with them. His senses heightened immediately as he heard a shuffle in the distance. The clank of armor was indisputable. The caution lights on the floor flashed, a shadow growing near. "Contact." The Chief muttered over his COM channel. The ODSTs froze before turning to hunker down for a fire fight. The Chief quickly turned his gun off of his safety and had his finger set to the trigger.

"What the fuck is that?" One of the marines hissed, sights in his eyes, but before he could even get a clear shot, the Spartan rose to his feet. The unbelievable sight had him speechless; though the Master Chief was never one for words. Suddenly they were faced with the sight of a tall Spartan. A dirty GUNGNIR armor set stood its ground, a DMR held tightly to his shoulder as he stared down his sights at them.

"Is that a fucking _SPARTAN_ ?!" One clamored in disbelief. Though even with the sight of humans, he did not lower his weapon. There was a long pause between breaths of each and every man in the room.

"Identify yourselves." Came the deep demand of the SPARTAN. He was hyper aware of the situation.

"Infinity Recon team. We are responding to the distress beacon that has been activated." One them answered. The wary SPARTAN seemed to have been rusty, and had not seen the Chief just out of his peripheral. He seemed to relax though his stance had not broken. While the man had been talking, the Chief's voice recognition software worked its magic. It was strange not to have Cortana right there to determine exactly who this was. By the time the conversation had come to a halt. The profile had popped up.

"Petty Officer Second Class - Sierra 039." The Chief spoke with confidence. The man snapped quickly, gun shouldered quickly yet again, only to fall with the sight of him. He quickly stiffened and holstered his weapon.

"Master Chief, sir." He responded, the near excitement in his voice. "It's been some time. I didn't know if anyone was left alive." The two 'brothers' stared at one another for a long moment.

"How long have you been here?" The answer surprised them all.

"Since Dr. Halsey had been evacuated."

Silence befell them all.

"That was more than five years ago..." The Chief replied. He only nodded in agreement. Isaac had been here, by himself, for nearly five years. No interaction. Simply surviving. Only to think that just possibly he had been the last human alive.

"I'm well aware of how long it has been."

The ODSTs had taken to going through what was left of the computers to figure out if the hard drives had actually been wiped. They did not need this type of information just laying around with such easy access. Meanwhile, the Chief had been kind enough to give the Spartan some much needed rations.

He ate ravenously. The ordeal had clearly taken an affect on the soldier. His face was gaunt and eyes with clear bags underneath. He looked sickly. Although for the natural appearance of the SPARTANs, they were pale by comparison to a normal human. Isaac looked sick and starved.

"How is it that you came to survive here this long?" He questioned. The man just shrugged.

"No other option, sir." He breathed, crushing a bottle of water in his fist as he pounded it back. "The destruction of the base... Vinh and myself had made a break for the mines but we couldn't make it. We headed for the cryo containment center and froze ourselves. When I woke up six months later, I saw that her pod had been crushed by debris. I was stuck in here. Once I had found away out through the mines I saw that the entire planet had been glassed by the covenant. I didn't really have much of a choice. I hunted for supplies and fresh water, just tying to get back on my feet. Trying to find hardware that would get a signal into deep space. At least to reach Earth. It's been running non stop for almost a year now.." his thought trailed off as he sat there, staring at the cracked concrete. "Supplies have been running low since then. I've salvaged what I could but MREs are only good for so long and there's only so much that has been salvageable. "

The Chief quickly knew what the man had been thinking. A signal that had been on for nearly a year... supplies running low. Had they even waited to come to the SPARTANS rescue, they probably would've found a body with a bullet in his head. "Were there no ships that could be repaired?" He questioned. Which only earned him a nasty look.

"Had there been,I wouldn't have been repairing a deep space transmitter for nearly five years, now had I?" He hissed. The years alone must've made the man edgy. Even for a SPARTAN, it must've been tough. His mental status would be corrupt for sure. The Chief was quiet for quite some time.. he had no idea what to say to the man. Though the conversation had taken a quick turn. "Did we win?" He asked. The Chief could hear the hesitation in his monotone voice.

"By a mile." He chirped. A twitch formed gently at his lips; barely distinguishable. But the chief saw it.

"I'm glad."


	2. Spartans Never Die

Hello everyone. Thank you for reading. Before we begin Chapter 2, I would like to say that this story takes place a few short months after Halo 4. (Obvious AU) I am a huge Halo fan and thought, what were to happen if one of the Spartans that were listed as an MIA were truly to be recovered? So this is my story on that and Isaac really is the only choice on this... and I'm a sucker for some man on man love! Don't forget to review!

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Captain Lasky laughed awkwardly at that thought. "Chief?" He asked again, tilting his head at the incoming transmission.

"SPARTAN-039 has been recovered." The Chief replied yet again. He pulled up his connection feed, there was no interruption. The large Spartan turned back to the man that was sitting there on a piece of rumble, watching as the ODSTs had continued their recon-now-turned salvage operation. "I would recommend prepping the sickbay and an evaluation team." John added before the feed had cut.

Lasky continued to stand there, hands clasped behind his back as Palmer had stood there at his side, "I thought most of the SPARTANs on Reach had been marked Killed In Action?" The gen-IV replied. There was a stretch of silence as Captain Lasky tapped his console. The familiar 1940s style bomber pilot AI had popped up immediately.

" Yes,sir?" He asked calmly. Thought being a smart AI he knew exactly what was going on. The captain had a cold and distant look on his face as his eyes swam with a thousand decisions.

"Roland. I need you to deliver a message to Halsey." The AI popped up at the screen, looking over the Captain before he had gotten into the UNSC channels and brought up the Doctor's contact information. Not many people would actually have the feeling of such self importance to disturb her... but the thought of knowing that one of her Spartans survived Reach and had ended up spending five years by himself. Lasky thought it was something that she needed to know. He worked rigorously to send the report to her, making sure to include everything he knew from the report he had gotten from the Master Chief. He was still in disbelief that someone could survive so long on a glassed planet. It just really showed the true nature of the SPARTANs and their superior nature.

Isaac was ashamed of the way he was currently living his life; he was eager to pack up and go. There was no reason for him to stay any longer. He waited patiently though for the ODSTs to go through the things that he had strung together to create a deep space transmitter. Though there wasn't much there. It had taken him a very long time to just salvage that much technology to even get this far. Without his helmet to conceal his features, you could see that he was overtly upset. He had been stuck for the entirety of the war... he couldn't accomplish anything that he was made for. And now, feeling utterly useless, he started to set demo charges.

"What are you doing?" The Chief asked, tilting his head some. Though seemed like a dumb question because it was clear what he was doing. Isaac didn't respond at first, turning to look at the other, holding the charge out.

"There is no further use for this base. We might as well blow it. That's what Halsey would want." He muttered as he set another in the dirt, programming it to blow upon detonation. The Chief only agreed, helping him set the charges as the marines had collected their findings and were set to go. They proceeded towards the pelican that had brought them planet side. Isaac almost felt guilty leaving the base.. His memories of Vinh would die here. She was a wonderful soldier and even better friend. And her body would rest here finally. It was time for a new and better start for the super soldier. He turned to climb aboard the pelican, standing in the hatch way as they started to ascend. He flipped and unflipped the detonation cover. The fiddling showing his anxiety towards the situation.

"Petty Officer, end it." The Chief instructed. Isaac stood for a long moment, the wind whipping wildly at the open hatch. He only responded with the set charge. Within seconds, what was left of the base had blown sky high. Between the fire and mountain debris, it had covered the horizon with a large dust cloud. The Spartan stepped back and let the hatch close. He moved to the bench and sat. Shoulders slumping and helmet resting against the bulkhead. It was clear to see the relief from the soldier. The Chief on the other hand saw this and noted it quickly- distress was not easy to see on the super soldiers. But amongst one another it was almost like lighting a road flare in a closet. Quiet in his head, the Chief observed Isaac. He never would have imagined finding a Spartan on Reach. He had worked with Isaac a few times before but never exactly knew the Spartan like; he had his own team. They were the last of a dying breed with more produced in a simpler fashion. No one would ever really live up to the expectations and accomplishments that they had provided. "039." John spoke over the private COM channel. Isaac did not budge. "Captain Lasky will want a full debriefing once we board."

Still no response. "039?" His voice became more gruff. Demanding.

"Understood, Master Chief. I'm just trying to take in my situation at the moment. I hope you understand." Claimed the weary soldier. Though John did understand. Having lost Cortana in the recent months he was on back to back missions constantly. He wasn't stopping and Captain Lasky and Palmer were becoming concerned. Most would take a breather... sleep. Though the Chief hadn't.

"Take the time you need." He spoke softly, patting the man on his shoulder as he watched Reach burn yet again... the thought of seeing a planet he grew up on and be re-destroyed... watching the mountain crumble within itself, it was surreal.

John and Isaac entered the war room, their heavy feet echoing off the large walls. Lasky stood there behind the large universe map. His head turned up, staring up at the pair. "Welcome, Petty Office aboard the UNSC Infinity." He spoke, hands behind his back. They snapped to attention. "At ease." He waved him off. The two soldiers relaxed, though barely. Isaac stood uncomfortably on the deck. He had never been a fan of fabricated gravity. His boots felt much better upon the dirt of a planet. "It's been some time for you I understand. We will be needy a full debriefing before 1800hours. Per ONI request..." Lasky started. Though the vibe that cut through the air coming from John... was just as thick as it had been when Del Rio was in his face screaming to hand Cortana over to him. "Though I do understand that you have been running short of rations on your last few days on what is left of Reach. So, proceed to the armory, get yourself a shower and a hot meal and yourself and I can talk over what exactly happened."

"With all due respect, sir?"

"Yes, Petty Officer?"

"I have been out of commission for nearly five years... I would like to attempt to get what little normalcy that the UNSC provides. So I can debrief now, if that is acceptable." Isaac asked, looking the Captain straight on. His gaze was cold behind his helmet. He didn't want anyone treating him like he needed to relax. He needed action.

"Of course. The UNSC is looking for mostly notable events... anything of interest." The Captain proceeded. He waved his hand and lifted his brows out of curiosity. Isaac stood quietly. Lasky thought that perhaps he was trying to recall anything he might have forgotten.

"The covenant circled the planet for a few months. Never landed as far to my knowledge just perhaps scouting for survivors. Up until then I believe.. I was the only one left. There was slight regrown by the rivers but not much. No animal life." He reported. The Captain nodded, having Roland record the report. There wasn't much.

"The UNSC will be disappointed but I'm sure they weren't expecting anything of significance. Regardless we thank you for your time. There was several medics waiting to receive you and give you a physical and a psyche evaluation to process you for further active dut—"

"Excuse me, sir?" The Chief cut in, he stepped forward and extended his hand. "There is nothing wrong with 039." He spoke sternly.

"Chief, it's only protocol. Even with you Spartans he requires a psyche check up... five years alone can rot the brain. You two are dismissed." He said, waving his hand. John narrowed his eyes at the other. He had become more of an asshole in the late months. Normally he wouldn't be so dismissive of the Chief and truly hear what he had to say... perhaps the man thought his lose of Cortana and his obsessive missions was getting to him as well.

"Yessir." He gritted through his teeth as he looked over the other Spartan as they left. Perhaps he were right. Five years alone could rot the brain. Isaac kept quite as they walked towards the armory to get unarmored. He hadn't realized he had been staring at the soldier, until Isaac turned to him.

"Something I can help you with?" He asked curiously, cocking his head some. He always had a curt tongue.

"Nothing. Just in shock still finding you out there. I wasn't expecting to find someone alive. Let alone... we'll you." John said, his blue eyes slicing through his blast shield. Isaac checked his weapons, turning over his shoulder as the bulkheads parted for the elevator.

"As Dr. Halsey has always said: never die, do they John?" He spoke sarcastically. That stopped the Chief in his tracks. The bitterness in his voice struck a cord. No one dared speak of Halsey the way he had. At least not her SPARTAN-IIs. The bulkhead shut behind the large Spartan. John standing there in slight awe.

 _Spartans never die, do they John?_

Sorry about the meh chapter. I had a little bit of writers block and I need a bit of set up for this story to make it take off. I've been playing all the halo games over and re-reading the books like mad so I might be slow updating. At least weekly to bi-weekly updates.


	3. Comradery

The hum of the engines were deafening. Each and every noise seemed new to Isaac. He stood in his skivvies in front of a bathroom mirror. His body was still strong but there was a noticeable difference in his face and chest. He had lost a lot of weight. He tried to keep in the best shape he could but with the lack of rations had left him feeling weak and tired most days. And he didn't need to be wasting precious energy on working out while he was trying to get his ass saved. He turned with disgust, pulling on a grey set of sweats, it was all they had given to him once he had arrived. Though the private cabin was appreciated instead of shared quarters with other marines. The lights were dim to keep the headaches away. It had been quite some time since he had spent some time under LEDs.

"Petty Officer First Class, you are wanted on the Med bay immediately for an evaluation." Roland, the ships AI paged over his private COM channel. He turned and stared at the speaker. He got up without a word, silently angry at the humiliation that this was causing him. A super soldier getting a psyche evaluation. They probably thought he was going to snap. How pathetic. He turned and headed out of the private quarters. It was a lively hour for sure. Officers littered the hallways as he passed, their loud conversations suddenly becoming hushed tones. He grit his teeth before he was met by two MPs by the elevators.

"Sir, we will be escorting you to the Medbay."

 _Insulting_ , he thought to himself. He allowed it though as he stepped into the elevator. The ride was quite but the noticeable shifting of the men had him on edge. They were nervous which had caught Isaacs attention. Nervous for what? Him? They must have been debriefed on the situation. ONI sometimes made things worst for Spartans. They weren't prepared to find him. Nor were they prepared to handle him. Once he was in the medbay, he was met with nothing but a screen. He was told to take a seat and nothing further. He obliged, sitting for ally as he waited. It didn't take long before a screen flickered to life. A female sitting across from him, datapad in hand as she stared at him. "Good morning sierra-039. " the voice sent a chill through him like a lightening bolt.

"Dr. Halsey... I did not expect you.." he muttered softly, looking her over. She was frail looking though that stoic look always set on her face.

"Nor I you." A smile curved her chapped lips as she adjusted herself, flipping through her monitor. "How have you been?" A laughable question really. She always had such polite mannerisms. Isaac drew his brows together.

"Is this a rhetorical question, ma'am?" He asked curiously. Surely she could not be serious? Another smile curved her lips as she looked up from the bridge of her nose.

"Always so serious, aren't you?" She huffed and turned back to him. "I was trying to keep the mood light but if you insist; Tell me about your time on Reach, from the beginning." She said as she tapped a pen to her lips, ready to listen intently. Isaac began to skim his mind of all the memories...

"...It was dark... and hot when I woke up. Really hot. The cryo pod had failed and had released me out of fail safe. I remember looking for Vinh, she was crushed by debris. It looked old, her body was rotting but it was the only way we could survive the blast from those charges." He waved his hand and leaned forward as he rubbed his temples. Thinking about it his mind became blurry and the details were no longer coming to him. It was almost like he didn't want to remember. "I just remember looking for others. The COMs were down. It was nearly three days before I reached the surface."

"What did you see?" She sled, interested.

"Not much. Reach was honeycombed into the crust and fires were raging. I realized after a week or so that I was either the only one left or there were more just not in any surrounding areas." His eyes flickered at the details roaming through his psyche. "I remember about a month in the Covenant was in the ozone. No where around me. Mainly searching the wreckages. I could never get there in time to at least steal a ship.. after that they left. Skies quiet. I remember finding supplies deeper within CASTLE." He shrugged, looking towards her.

"How did you feel?" Dr. Halsey pried now. What did he feel? What a stupid question. He felt like he was back in training after losing one of Chief Mendez's training exercises.

"Annoyed. Resentful." He pandered, and then he was quiet. "Alone." Isaac spoke finally. That's what she was looking for and that was when Isaac realized that he shouldn't have said that. She jotted something down on her monitor before she swiped it away.

"All circumstantial, I assume?" Dr. Halsey questioned, lifting an eyebrow. It was like she was drilling him to say the wrong thing. Her Spartans were suppose to be the best. They didn't have thoughts on their feelings and they didn't crumble under pressure mentally.

"Yes ma'am." He answered in a quick manner. She brought up another screen, a wall in front of him, revealing an MRI with a few techs standing by.

"I will consider what we have talked about. For not I would like it if you would lay down so we can do a MRI on your head and go from there. Until then, you will be put on R&R. Enjoy your day, 039. And welcome back." Before he could ask any questions the screen went black and the transmission had disconnected. Isaac turned towards the MRI and grit his teeth.

 _This is unbelievable._

* * *

Once the lab had ran its tests, and given Isaac the physical he needed, he was released into the ship with limited access. He lumbered down the halls towards the indoor shooting range. He needed to get his mind from running off the rails somehow. He hadn't been able to freely shoot without consequence in a long time. He reached the range, doors sliding open in front of him, almost having to duck through the opening. Isaac was met by the Master Gunnery Sargent. His eyes scanned over his uniform. _Stacker_. Isaac saluted the officer.

"At ease, soldier." He spoke. The softened sound of gunshots behind the plexiglass surged through him, making him ease. Isaac dropped his salute as he proceeded forward. "What can I do for you?" Stacker's head tilted. He was an elder gentlemen with salt and pepper hair fading into a five o'clock shadow. His eyes seemed blood shot and milky from plasma scarring. He had seen it in the Spartans but this seemed to be almost permanent.

"Magnum. Four clips. Battle rifle, two clips." He demanded. His skin was crawling, finger tips tingling at the rumble in the metal floor from all the rounds being popped off. The gunny went to work as he handed him exactly what he asked for. The Spartan checked and inspected the weapons. Feeling the weight in his hands. His skin prickled with excitement. He nodded to the gunny before he took off to the range. Isaac needed some release.

* * *

John had been fixing himself at the range for nearly hours now. He had remade his bed twice this morning, sifted through FLEETCOM reports and upcoming missions. Secretly, his mind was askew. His mind replayed the scene of Isaac. His gaunt form, primal need just for food alone. That worried him. He had not heard any news from Lasky of his medical screenings. He could not think clearly. The fresh scar of Cortana slipping through his fingers on Requiem. Yet, the silence in his mind was welcomed. He was becoming indifferent to his situation. A shadow passed by him as he reloaded his DMR magazine, turning just to catch the tail end of the man that had passed him. _Isaac_. The Master Chief contemplated for a long moment. Letting the soldier relax and get a few shots in before he made his way over to him seemed like the best idea. In the mean time he cleaned his station, watching intently as Isaac shot at the targets he had picked with small bullseyes. It was clear to the Chief what he was doing. Trying to make sure he still had his touch. Who wouldn't though? With minimal ammo and such a long stretch with no action and nothing but survival instincts keeping you alive? A little shooting would be the first thing on the Chiefs list to 'relax'.

It wasn't long before the large Spartan made his way over, standing well behind him for safety as he leaned against the glass and watched. Either Isaac had acknowledged John was there, and didn't care. Or he felt lax enough to not care to watch his six.

"Is there something I can do for you, Master Chief?" A monotone voice came, replenishing his clip. _The first option then,_ the Chief thought to himself.

"Checking up." The flat reply came. Isaac only grunted in response before he continued to unload the weapon with precision. Each bullseye cleared before the next target came and disappeared again. Another clip.

"Spoke with . She put me on recuperation." He all but snarled. No Spartan liked to hear that. It put a thorn in his side for sure. John processed this for a moment. It made sense though he could see where the irritation would come from.

"You should be at 100 percent before you retake the field. Sharpen yourself up."

Dead stop. Isaac's stance dropped. Rage seethed through him for a hot moment before it dulled. The Chief regretting his words immediately.

"For the record, sir, I will be just fine. " Charged words left his lips, turning to the Chief, "With all due respect: I need to be back on the field. I accomplish nothing being on recuperation. The war might be over but there was still missions to be run. Intel needing collecting. What do I accomplish here? Nothing!" Isaac snarled, pointing off into the distance to assert himself further. It wasn't often that a Spartan would become... so annoyed that they would raise their voice in such ways, especially to another brother. But Johns eyes only ignited with interest.

"I'm glad you still have that fire." He all but grinned. Flabbergasted, Isaac looked over the Chief. He wasn't going to expect that type of response to his outburst.

"When we found you back on Reach. I assumed you were going to be withdrawn... 'broken' as some Marines would say. " John explained. "I'm glad that Captain Lasky and his spooks were wrong about you. You'll be back in the field with me soon enough. " Isaac's heart nearly soared. A wild eyed look danced across his unusual brown hues. "Do what they ask of you, Petty Officer. That's all I ask of you. I could use some help out there." John took himself off the plexiglass as he clamped Isaac on the shoulder. "I'll be seeing you." And then he was gone, Isaac still standing there awestruck. It was nice to know that there was one person on this entire ship not thinking that there was something wrong with him. He thought perhaps someone would think that he wasn't going to be fit for duty. He still had no idea where the UNSC stood or how much he had to catch up on. But he knew that the Chief would never leave him in the dark.

* * *

Welcome back. I know I only posted the second chapter last night. It I had this rolling and didn't want to stop my idea train. This will more than likely be a long story. I don't like to rush a decent storyline I got going on in my head. Bless y'all for the follows and don't forget to let me know what you think via review or PM!


	4. Revival

Two weeks; it had been nearly two weeks and he was not back on active duty. What was he going to do? The constant moving back and forth between gym and shooting range.. it put his mind at ease but the Spartan was becoming restless. Isaac had been put on leave for the time being as his body recovered from the lack of nutrition and muscle loss. There was not much to do on a ship like the Infinity. The lack of action was uncomfortable in a way. At least on Reach he could explore and occupy his time with the thought of rescue.

Isaac stood on the observation deck, hands clasped behind his back as several crew members moved behind him. They were either enjoying the view of slip space or passing through, not paying any mind of the large man standing there by himself.

 _Perhaps I should go back to my cabin._ He thought quietly to himself. Isaac had lost himself in thought so much he had not realized the man standing next to gaze shifted to the figure, "Master Chief." He spoke, eyes studying his professional pose.

"Petty Officer," The deep voice rumbled but his eyes did not leave the glass. "I haven't seen you around much. Thought perhaps you were in need of some company." The Chief asked, his head tilting some. His hands clasped a bit harder behind his back. John never changed, did he? They rarely had worked together in their younger years but John was always around when you needed him. Damned near sixth sense if you asked Isaac.

"I could use it. The ship is boring and the artificial gravity is making me nauseous. " he admitted. Most people never get used to the gravity on such large ships. Isaac never did.

"Well that makes two of us. Let's sit." John motioned to a nearby table, pulling out a chair for Isaac before he sat down himself, taking up a very lax seat, spreading his legs with an arm over the back of the chair. Isaac joined him, sitting quietly. It was nice just to be in the presence of someone else. He waited for a long time before he spoke up didn't seem to mind.

"John?" He asked,though his eyes didn't run over him, the outside world still had his attention. "What happened after Reach? There's a few reports here and there but there's not much I have access to at the moment." A long sigh filled the Chief before he turned to Isaac, those cold blue eyes sending a chill through his spine.

"We ran. A slip space jump brought us to a ring. They called it Halo. It was a ring world that the Forerunners had created as a weapon, the Covenant was trying to take over. I didn't let that happen." He explained,waving his hand some. Isaac seemed impressed but he didn't interrupt. "Shortly after that, they had moved to attack Earth.." Isaac listened to the wild story the Chief had to tell. He couldn't keep his attention off the man as he explained everything. Deep within himself he had a large pane of regret in him... he did nothing to help nor could he. And he was raging about it on the inside of himself.

When John had gotten to the part about the Arbiter, he looked confused over such a matter. He never would've thought that he would hear such things. "An Elite? With you?" Isaac all but laughed, the Chief shrugged, hushing his voice as a crew member eyed them too closely as they passed. The Chief drilled them.

"Thel 'Vadam." John corrected him. A pleasant look slipped over his eyes as he thought about it. "He was a good partner. Strong and smart, we hit a few snags- a lot actually but we always made it work." Isaac watched the Chief as he talked. Whenever he shared a moment with John he always seemed so relaxed outside of his armor, like talking to a soldier. It was strange thought to know that someone with such an ease of speaking was so dangerous. Inside of it... John was a different person. Purpose filled him and the fires of war controlled his movements.

"Forgive me Chief, what happened to blue team? You mention everyone else, are they MIA?" Isaac pressed. Worry filled his gut at the thought of his brothers and sisters.

"Fred, Linda and Kelly are still alive and operating. There's very few of the twos left. They rest of the Spartans you see on the _Infinity_ are Spartans IVs They're marines or ODSTs that have been augmented. They're good. Not as good as us." John bragged, the twinkle in John's eyes made Isaacs heart flare. Isaac nodded, clasping his hands in his lap as he thought to himself.

"I need to be back out on the field. I can't sit in this ship any longer John. I'm going to go AWOL." Isaac admitted, though a joking tone hinted in his voice, of course. That made the Chief smile. It was soft and light but to the trained eye you could see it take over his face and eyes.

"I know. We'll get you back out there soon." John patted the table, reassuring his brother in arms.

They talked for some time, mostly about the war. Things that the Petty Officer first class didn't know. And what John could tell him that wasn't classified... it was a relief to Isaac to know that John had proved the Spartan IIs were better than they could've ever hoped for in the public's eye. He wondered what would've happened in the war if they had been scrapped. It was a strange thought that he and the others had put such an impact on war. He wondered if they could've won it without the Spartans.

Probably not.

Johns wrist watch had lit up, a small figure had appeared over the screen. An AI. "Good evening, Master Chief." He turned, looking over at the other Spartan that sat with him. "Petty Officer." He nodded, turning his attention back to the Chief. "Captain Lasky would like you to report to the docking station for a briefing." Isaac suddenly felt outcasted. "Both of you in fact. You have been cleared for Active Duty, sir." John turned to Isaac and gave a surprised look.

"Thank you, Roland. We will be there soon." John stood, towering over Isaac. "Let's get going then Spartan. We have work to do." He smirked. And with that they were off to get suited up, a passion burning in Isaacs chest. There was nothing that he wanted more. He couldn't wait.

* * *

Isaac was suited into a new version of his Gungnir armor. It felt better than any other armor he had ever put on. It clung to his body like a wetsuit but he could barely even tell it was there. A hand clamped down on his shoulder, turning to look at the Chief. His orange blast shield staring back in his face.

"Welcome back." He turned and moved down the hall towards the docking station. Crew members flocked about getting a pelican ready for them. The Captain met them there, holding a data pad as he turned to greet them.

"Gentlemen." He nodded, looking over Isaac in his armor. "Welcome back to active duty, just in time too." Captain Lasky turned back to his data pad and brought up a FLEETCOM map, bringing it to the Spartans to show them. "Ectanus 45 system, Chi Rho's moon Eiro has gone dark. There's a small colony there, though with us being so scarcely spread... ONI is asking us to check it out and make sure everything is okay. Jiralhanae pirate ships have been reported towards the back of the system searching for human colonies. This is one of our first rebuilding sites after the war. It needs to continue having progress." Lasky explained, showing the both of the the space buoy pictures of possible activity. "I'm sure the two of you can handle it." He explained. Isaac and John both nodded, downloading the colony map to their HUDs before they were dismissed.

John and Isaac were pointed to a Pelican in which they boarded with three ODSTs as apart of their team. Isaac's HUD read their names. Daniels, Carter, and Mason. His HUD scanned over their track records. Highly impressive. They looked at him with skepticism though. Something he had gotten used to well before the age of twenty.

"I didn't think we were taking the head case with us." He could hear Daniels muttered. Instantly making him grind his teeth.

"Knock it off, Lieutenant. We have a job do." Colonel Mason growled out. They had no idea how good the listening devices were in Spartan helmets... The Chief boarded, looking at his men and nodded Isaac up towards the cockpit. He followed like he was told and took the co pilot seat next to John before they were ready to take off. The ODSTs sat back and readied for their ride. And it would be a long ride.

* * *

Isaac relaxed in his seat, hands placed over his stomach as he watched the stars pass them by. It had been a long time since he had been on a mission and he couldn't feel more at home at the moment. He turned his attention back to the Chief. His eyes scanned over his sage armor. It was scarred and burnt from plasma and fights that he could never imagine he had been through. Some of the plates had been bent in here and there but reinforced yet again. His eyes scanned up his body, until he was met with the blast shield staring right back at him. The orange plate shuddered and disappeared to reveal the chiefs face behind it. Accusing eyes met his helmet, thought through the small camera of his faceplate, the Chief was boring into him.

"Just admiring." Isaac spoke, the Chiefs silence seemed to almost prod more.

"Never thought you to be the type, Isaac." He quipped, which only made a small huff come out of his lips.

"Not what I meant." Isaac murmured. "Your armor. Battled scarred like it is.. and now me in this.." The fresh armor had been recently painted with a burnt orange and black, freshly fitted to the Spartan to replace his old armor.

"Upgrades are never bad, you're suit was burnt out. Let the UNSC spoil for you for once. It's the least you deserve." The conversation halted there for a few minutes. "I thought you had died back there that day. Everyone was I didn't stop to think that there was a possibility that there would ever be a survivor. No one did." John went on, an apology of sorts that Isaac was figuring out as he spoke. "I'm glad you were able to send a signal. Chief Mendez would be proud." John told him, looking over the Spartan.

"Survivor of the fittest.." Isaac voiced, looking over his comrade. He had been missing this for years. It was hard to talk with Marines or even ranking officers. But there was something that the Spartans had learned through all their time being with one another training. It was comfort. And the Chief had that. They all did. Isaac couldn't ask for anything more than John right now treating him as a soldier instead of like the higher ups treating him as though he were a head case.

"John?" Isaac asked, not making eye contact this time as he just stared out into the space.

"Yeah?" The Chief answered, playing with the buttons on the console, flying the Pelican into Eiro's orbit.

"Thank you. I never thought I'd be back here." Isaac realized that without them finding him... he really wouldn't be here right now. Either due to a bullet to the brain or simple starvation. John had realized this the moment he had walked into the crumbling base two weeks ago.

"As long as you have me, Isaac, I have you. No need for thanks." John said coolly, looking to the Spartan next to him.

"I can do that, Chief."

* * *

I cant bring myself to rush this because I want proper development yet also I just wanna write some damned smut between these two. So I guess we're all just gunna have to wait. Hoping you guys are enjoying the story, I'm trying to update in timely fashion but, you know, life. Thanks again for reading and enjoy.

 **Update::** changed Spartan IIIs to IVs cause I messed up my numbers. my bad.


	5. Andrenaline Boost

The pelicans engines hummed as it descended towards the planet. The rebuilding of Eiro seemed to have expanded beyond what it once was. In the equator of the tidally locked planet laid the settlement, which now held a marine base, several shipping docks and a mining operation. A UNSC treasure for the time being. Though despite the sunrise, there was no lights throughout the small city. Isaac stood up and leaned over the console of the Pelican. Nothing. It was a complete black out. He narrowed his eyes as John went to reach for the COM channel.

Static.

"Master Chief, what's the plan?" One of the ODSTs barked from the back as they started to ready their equipment. The chief assessed the situation as they brought themselves to the military base, touching down on the landing pad.

"Colonel, I want you and your men to head for the communication towers, try to establish any sort of contact with anyone. Marines, citizens, or any signal I want to know about them immediately. Petty Officer, you will be with me and we will search for any survivors. As far as I'm concerned... this is a recon op." John explained. The marines nodded as the back of the Pelican opened. The early morning sun peaked over the mountains and fog rolled in down the hills. The grounds were completely silent. "Trackers on and a secure channel when checking in. We don't know what we're dealing with."

"Yes, sir." They replied in unison before departing from one another. John seemed rather relaxed with the situation, though his DMR already in his hands. He didn't want to be caught off guard. Isaac kept his own rifle in his hands as they made their way to the barracks.

There was no one to greet them. John hunched over, his flashlight peaking through the windows. Beds were tossed about and unmade. It looked like everyone left in a hurry. The Chief turned to Isaac, who was doing the same. He motioned his partner towards the door where Isaac took point before John kicked the heavy door in. The crash echoed off the walls as dust kicked up from the floors. The Spartans cleared the large room before moving towards the back where it opened up into a recreation room. Light streamed from a large projector where a movie title sat on replay. Their lights ran over the area. Fold up chairs on their sides and food spilled on the floor.

"Looks like they left in a hurry.." Isaac commented. John was inclined to agree. The hum of generators came from the outside wall, it would only give the tv a reason to be running. "An attack?" He asked curiously as he crouched down to find some discarded shells on the floor.

"Possibly." John replied, "let's move. We have more buildings to check."

The Spartans left the building before checking several others. The mess hall was empty, along with the officer quarters. No destruction had been noted and no sign of any struggles had been seen. What had happened? Isaac felt a chill down his spine. His mind suddenly snapping back to the empty fields Reach. Dead bodies and scorched earth played in his mind as he stared out at the empty base. Tire tracks leading for the front gate of the military base. He pointed his flashlight towards the tracks, walking over to them. Dried mud left a clear trace. Everyone had left.

A hiss of static rushed in over the private channel as the Colonels voice appeared.

" _Master Chief. You need to come look at this_ _ **."**_ Mason reported with a concerned tone. John turned, lowering his weapon before he turned his attention towards the towers.

"What is it marine?" John asked.

" _Brute choppers_. "

"Hold there."

That was all they needed to take off towards the towers to meet up with the ODSTs. They climbed the towers were they waited to regroup. The colonel motioned them over towards the west and pointed down into the woods. Choppers sat, unoccupied and destroyed, it seems that they had missed the fight.

"Sir, I think what we're looking for is in city." Lieutenant Carter spoke as his hands flew over the keyboard. "The Cole Protocol has been activated. Though there is a signal on an encrypted channel... I'm trying to access it now." They waited patiently for the ODST to apply his tech savviness to the console before he pulled the signal up.

" _This is military outpost Torus, please report to the nearest ONI tower for safe haven. I repeat, this is military outpost Torus, please report to the nearest ONI tower for safe haven."_ Came the beacon. It was clear something horrible had happened here on Eiro. Carter continued let his fingers fly across the keyboards to pull something up. Possibly a settlement map. But there was nothing.

"We're going to have to scout with a drone." Carter finally said, "The entire system is completely wiped. There's nothing more I can do." He admitted, turning towards the men. "There should be an ARGUS drone in the armory, if not we can use the Pelican to scout the city." The Chief took in the recommendations.

"The pelican would cause too much attention. The ARGUS drone would be our best option. There's a Warthog in the hanger we can use once we have the base layout of the city. Go retrieve the warthog, rendezvous at the LZ in twenty." The Chief wrote them off before Isaac and himself departed. The pair headed for the armory and broke down the door without hesitation. Their armor making short work of the heavy metal plated door.

The armory was a mess, it looked like soldiers had scrambled to get their weapons and ammunition... it was strange to see the entire base completely empty. John and Isaac searched through crates to find the drones. Isaac searched towards the back- to a fenced in area as he used to flashlight to scan inside. He tugged at the gate, locked. He wrapped his hand around the chain and gave a forceful tug before it crumbled within the strength of the armor. Ducking underneath the doorway, he found the drone tucked away deep in the back. Isaac holstered his rifle and lifted the heavy drone with no resistance at all.

"I got it Chief. I need you to grab the computer for it." He said as he walked out, holding the disc like drone in his arms. The Chief complied, grabbing the computer before he followed his comrade back towards the Pelican. They had set it down before they started to connect it to the controls. A few minutes later, the ODSTs had arrived with the Warthog.

"All set, Master Chief." Colonel Mason popped out of the drivers seat. The drone started to spin before it began to hover. Isaac settled in front of the monitor before he let it take off in the direction of the city. There was nothing unusual besides the lack of citizens on the streets. He ran the scanners, trying to find something. Even the heat signature camera did not come up with anything on the outskirts of the city. Once Isaac drove the drone deeper within the city, he came across several Brute ships that had landed in the park.

"Looks like a rogue party... probably gathering resources and food." Daniels put in, shifting uncomfortably. Isaac opened his mouth, then shut it immediately. He knew exactly what he meant.

"Does this happen often?" Isaac asked, his eyes never leaving the monitor as he sketched out the area within his mind.

"Unfortunately, lets get going, set the drone into a hover mode where that war band is. We don't have much time." They climbed into the warthog, setting off towards the city.

Fog rolled in through the blocks around the city.. the warthog's engine seems to echo off the walls of the large buildings. Like war sometimes is, it was direly quiet. Isaac was on edge, his blood pulsing through his veins as he felt that chill. He could see John in the review mirror stiffen on the chain gun. He felt it too. He wondered for a brief second if it was just Spartans that had this sense. His mind wandered for a moment before the diluted sound of an ODSTs voice came through the Com and the whistling of a rocket taking off in his ear.

"Contact! Left side!" Daniels shouted as he released the rocket launcher. And like a robot, Isaac's body woke up from his broken minded state and he seemed to snap back to reality. His HUD locked on the large creatures firing their grenade launchers hitting the broad side of the vehicle. John wasted no time as he began shooting, the pings of emptied shells ricocheted off of their armor. As one, they fired, Mason turning into the fight without hesitation. Isaac stood up, putting his foot up on the visor of the warthog before resting his arm to steady his shot.

His veins shook with adrenaline, a feeling he hadn't had in such a long time. It was intoxicating. The Brutes did not fall with ease, taking several clips to take them down. They halted to a stop in the area that they had started their first fight. They took a quick look, making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary but there was nothing to see. Just guards. They continued towards the city center. They were all on guard, John swiveling on the chain gun and making sure he had a 360 view of their battlefield.

"Drone has a lock on the city center. Multiple heat signatures inside the building.." Carter gave them a heads up. "Looks like a defensive border. Several bogies outside. Not exactly a clear picture."

"Good work Lieutenant. Keep us updated." The Chief replied. It took several minutes to reach the center. They stopped a few blocks before their target, shutting down the Warthog and climbing out. The large buildings were blocking most of their view. It was no longer quiet. The lost echoes of bullets rattling through the streets. Isaac looked through his scope, looking up into the air and nodded.

"That building provides an overlook of the center, we could use it as a sniper perch." Isaac suggested.

"We could take them from the flank and above, this could be over virtually in seconds." The colonel added, looking at the rest of the team. The Chief remained quiet. He knew what Brutes could do to them all. Even himself in his armor they were a heavy opponent. He wanted his men's lives not to be wasted here. They waited for his response.

"Lieutenant Carter. I want you up on that building, cover us from above. The ARGUS has exactly one Lancet micro missile, use it if things get ugly but otherwise I want you on that sniper."

"Yes, sir." He saluted and immediately took off for the building.

"Mason, Daniels. On the Warthog. The Petty Officer and I will be taking the west side entrance. Keep it moving and do not get close to them. I've seen them take tanks. Don't get cocky. We'll flank them." He explained. The men nodded and remounted the warthog before peeling out. John and Isaac stared at one another for a long moment before they started off at a quick paced run. "Glad to see yourself enjoying this." He prodded, Johns face camera popping up on his HUD. He saw the playful look in his strange blue eyes.

"Just needed a little grease on the chains."

"I can tell. Keep it up and you'll have a spot with me for some time to come."

"It'd be my pleasure."

They came up around the west side of the center, hunkering down and scanning the area. It was clear. Brute taking humans, it happened a few times since the end of the war. Lost space ships that had run out of resources and Human colonies were often hit and their main source of 'resources'. Isaac crept forward with the Chief. There were quite a few of them but he knew that they had the advantage with their silent.

" _I have them in my sights, Chief, you give the word_." Carter checked in. The Chief waited until the other ODSTs had rounded the corner in the Warthog that had caught the Brutes attention. The chain gun lit up like a firework, the sound deafening.

"Now." John executed before he sprang to his feet with Isaac in pursuit; the ground nearly breaking under their feet. The aliens were completely caught off guard by their plan. A few dropped from their efforts, the others quickly acknowledged what was happening and decided to take cover. Isaac swiveled around a plant island to avoid the ODSTs barreling through, dropping a Brute with his rifle, tossing a grenade as he reloaded. John took up a long range position with his DMR, just taking his time and assessing the situation before Carter, from above, dropped two more with his sniper rifle. The battle went quick and with ease before the rest of them were removed from the plane of existence. Daniels and Mason regrouped with the Spartans, Carter staying where he was to provide cover, just in case.

The Chief and the others headed for the front of the building where they were met with a blockade. It took them no time at all to dismantle it and step inside. Military and civilians. Hunkered down and in awe at the sight of their rescue. A marine stepped forward. An older man with lines wearily drawn on his face yet strangely youthful.

"Staff Sergeant Abraham. Nice to see you again, Chief." He nodded, reloading his weapon. His eyes searched over the man, recognizing him immediately. He was one of the men he have saved from the first contact of halo rings. Abraham was full of much more fire then.

"Small universe." Mason said with surprise. "What's the status?" The Master Chief remained quiet but acknowledged the man's presence.

"I don't know. We went dark three days ago. Figured it was a storm rolling through, happens all the time. Sent someone up to the satellite to fix it and they didn't respond. Two days ago, we were attacked at the base. Rounded up by these fuckers and we retreated back to the city. We're the only means of defense here. Had to defend what we could. They swept in quick." The Staff Sergeant shrugged, looking back at his civilians. "We have a lot of injured."

"No worries Staff Sergeant, we'll get you and your men out of here. Infinity is standing by with reinforcements and supplies." Colonel Mason headed into the building a bit further. The Staff Sergeant nodded, shoulders now relaxed at the good news for once.

* * *

It took a couple of hours before they were able to establish contact with the Infinity and have reinforcements on the ground tending to the injured. Isaac stood from the chaos of trying to evacuate the civilians and military that had been injured. Smoke from the recent battle had brought back memories of Reach. It was all that he could remember. He turned to see John at his side, standing a bit away but close enough to speak.

"You alright?" He asked finally after a long moment of silence. Isaac just rolled his shoulders.

"Just fine, sir." Isaac replied. John nearly laughed.

"You've always been a bad liar." He accused.

"Probably. I wouldn't know." The Spartan remained quiet for a long time before he turned to look at his commanding officer. "Just adjusting I suppose. Reminds me of Reach. I was in New Alexandria most of the time before meeting back at Castle Base. Funny how little things remind you of all of this." He waved his hand, the Chief listening to him patiently. "It makes me mad, you know? What would've happened if I wasn't stuck there?" He shrugged, looking back to his brother. John could see that this was truly bothering Isaac. But he didn't have much to say about this.

"I can't tell you what would've or could've happened. I can tell you this though: if you keep looking to the past, you're going to break your neck." That stopped Isaac. Something so profound from John made him crack a slight smile.

"You've gotten wise in your old age."

"I'm a man of many talents."

"Maybe I should break my neck so I don't have to listen to you spew Déja's lessons." Isaac teased. The soft moment made both of them laugh some. It was nice to feel normal around someone for once. They both felt the relief in the light heartedness. What would he ever do without the Chief's sensible mind?

* * *

I'm really digging the slow rekindled friendship. Hope y'all enjoying it too. Isaac never got a chance in the books. I'm trying not to make him sound like a 'screwed up in the head' soul type but I think just cause their Spartans doesn't mean they can't have their own problems. Right? I'm trying to make him a more aware of his situation type of guy. Because he'll, five years alone by yourself can spread quite jarring. Don't forget to leave some reviews~


	6. Euphoria

Couldn't help myself, steamy chapter ahead for warning.¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

* * *

 _Heavy dust filled the entrance to the Castle base, there was zero visibility. There was no where left to turn. A thick sweat coated Isaac within his armor, his legs nearly aching from the quickness of his pace. "Vinh, lets go!" He shouted as he could feel the ceiling of the base crumble just meters behind their position. There was a small gap into the chamber before them... if only he could get through. Vinh came up on his heels,pushing him through, a panic in her respiration's._

" _Go! " she snarled through the COM channel. He managed, his armor becoming more and more severely damaged as he squeezed through the crevasse. Isaac turned, tugging Vinh's arm. They kept running through the dust, trying to find somewhere to go. They weren't going to go out like this. They happened upon a laboratory, trying to out run their demise._

" _Cryo tanks!" He shouted, pulling the hurt Spartan with him as he headed for the terminal, trying to access the program quickly. The Base was crumbling, this was the last little bit of hope they had. Vinh got into a pod, removing her helmet as she slammed the door above her and shoved a apparatus in her mouth as she tried to calm her breathing._

 _A large pop of exploding rocks shot debris through the door way, he was out of time. He accessed Vinh's pod before starting the protocol for his own, hitting the confirmation button. Isaac jumped on in, following Vinh's actions and doing the same. As his vision blurred and his finger tips got cold from the cryo pods activation, he turned to look at his friend for the last time. He smiled, happily knowing that she was safe. He close his eyes and relaxed for a moment before he took one last look._

 _A boulder from above hurled down from the ceiling - impaling the woman beside him. His shook with resentment as the chemicals took over._

The shock of the impact made Isaac shoot up from his bed and onto the floor. He stood quickly, soaked. He breath ragged as he looked around the dimly lit room. "Fuck." He growled, running his hands through his hair and tugged before he sat down in the edge of his bed. His eyes frantically searched the ground back and forth before he calmed. He hadn't thought about that day at all since he had woken up from his sleep. So why now? He had no idea. Isaac sat, lonely yet again. The heartache was nearly unbearable. What was wrong with him? Spartan's never felt like this. He had dealt with many deaths in his lifetime. Whether it was enemies or his comrades- he had seen it all.

Isaac clenched his fist and grit his teeth. He was struggling. Knowing he was but too stubborn to admit it. Feeling flawed, the Spartan put his boots on and headed for the door. It was the middle of the night but he cared little for time, getting any type of sleep was sheer luck in the first place. Wandering feet took him aimlessly through the halls of the Infinity. It didn't occur to the man where he was leading himself until he was standing outside of the security doors. He stared for a moment at the tag outside the door, heart hammering and feeling anxious. A hand hesitated as he rapped a few times, waiting. There was no groggy Spartan that stood in front of him, instead a very awake one. John's eyes flickered over the disheveled man before stepping aside to let him inside.

A very simple, plain quarters awaited him. A bed that looked like it hadn't been touched that night with a desk promptly next to it. The light that sat on the corner of it illuminating scattered gun pieces. A cleaning kit placed ceremoniously next to it, the rag neatly folded.

John had been up all night.

The large man took his seat back down by the desk, returning to his gun.

He said nothing.

Isaac wandered about the room. On a cork board were pinned mission reports, a list of casualties, and three pictures. John didn't strike him as a man of memorabilia.

The first was a picture of blue team when John had been younger. Their faces bright yet unsmiling. Proud. He hadn't seen a picture of Sam in a long time. The second, a dark skinned man dressed in formal wear standing next to the Chief in what looked like a pinning ceremony. The third was Halsey, of all people, standing with a incredibly vivid AI on her console staring into the capturer's lens. It almost was like the AI had been staring directly into Isaac's eyes. Before he knew it, he was reaching to touch the picture. He knew exactly _which_ AI it had been.

"Was this her?" Isaac asked curiously. He knew he shouldn't be prying the Chiefs personal items but it wasn't like he had them hidden in a draw somewhere.

"Yeah." He replied, almost an automated response.

"What happened?" A sigh rolled from the Chiefs lips as he continued working.

"She gave her life for mine back on Requiem. As far as I know, she's gone."

Isaac nodded, still staring at the picture standing there with nothing more to say. The subject was sensitive - that much Isaac could tell. He turned, pressing the sheets of the bed flat before he had sat down, watching the man clean his gun. Questions swarmed his head but he refused to let his curiosity get the best of him.

"Have you slept yet?"

"I don't sleep, I wait." John quipped. The tension broke immediately,making a small chuckle come from Isaac. He needed that sarcastic attitude that the Chief always carried with him. "I slept earlier... had a feeling someone would be showing up tonight.."

"Oh."

"I'm joking. But in all seriousness, are you going to tell my you came knocking on my door so late?" John turned his attention, now engaging in the conversation. He knew that Isaac was on edge. He had been since Reach, and John had been keeping an eye on him. No one, regardless of Spartan status with the hardcore training or psychological breaking, could feel 'normal' after such a long time alone.

"I didn't plan on interrupting you're evening, Chief. I just sort of found my way here." Isaac rambled.

"Nightmares?" He offered to the other. Isaac was taken back by that. He wasn't expecting it in the least bit.

"Ah.. yeah. I don't know. I was thinking about Vinh recently, dreamt about when we had charged the base and dropped it."

"And?"

Isaac offered nothing for a long moment. He sat quietly, rummaging through his racing thoughts before he had spoke: "I think if I had been the one to get into the cryo pod first, she would've survived."

"Why do you think that? The base was falling apart and you did what you thought was best to preserve not only yourself, but _her_." There was no past thought of that before. He felt guilty that he had survived. That much was true. "If there is one thing in this universe you cannot control, Isaac, is the act of nature, man made or not. You couldn't have seen the path. Whether you like it or not."

John drawled on the thousands of reasons that Isaac did not have to feel guilty for his survival. The minutes ticked away, turning into hours. The existential crisis that befell the lower ranking Spartan seemed to wash away for the time being as they chatted on the subject. John had revealed that regardless how he held himself he was not exactly 'right' on the inside either. Horrors replayed in his mind. Feelings of guilt sank heavy in his gut, killing had given him more pleasure than the softest of beds... he just simply had to move on to fight another day- that was real. For the first time someone had given him the justification of feeling the way he did. For the first time in a long time Isaac felt like he was a normal soldier. In a normal tour with nothing better to do than sitting here with his friend and chit chat. It was something he needed. John had gotten it. It was strange to become self aware of psychological pain this job offered. Working so hard to achieve and reach the goals set before them. Only to watch those around you fail due to death or disfigurement. The difference was- John didn't have five years to think about it. Isaac had. They were only human. That was sometimes forgotten, even amongst themselves.

John reached for the others knee and patted it gently, "You'll be fine, _eventually_." Isaac rolled his eyes some, turning to face the man, only to realize that he was sitting much closer than intended. His heart hammered in his chest, unusual for such an _innocent_ gesture. They held their gaze for a long moment before the motions before them set forth. Distance closed slowly. The tension cut before them when their lips connected for such a chaste kiss. The solace in it was invigorating. Isaac's body slumped as he felt the bed being suppressed beside him, a shoulder checking him into the bed behind him. In a moments notice, he was pinned. The pair slide into a comfortable position as John ran a hand down his side. Hard cut muscle met his finger tips behind the shirt that was neatly tucked away below the waist line of the Spartan. Their lips moved in unison with one another- ragged breath pushed from Isaac's nose before he pulled back. Dizzy from the lack of common sense- hormones raging like a bull in the middle of a fight; his shirt was ripped from its position.

Rough hands replaced it as John ran them up his sides, Isaac impatiently pulling it above his head before he wrapped his arms around the others neck and pulled him down towards him yet again. John's large form covered his own, tongues tangling once in a while in the fit to get one another's clothes off. With finesse, John flipped Isaac onto his stomach and slid his hands down his back, enjoying every deep scar and taunt muscle that was the landscape of his body, sweat bristled over his spine as his body temperature skyrocketed. Isaac's pants had been yanked down to his thighs as he watched over his shoulder. John's hands worked fast on his own pants to get his hard member out of his fatigues. John moved himself over his backside, sliding his cock playfully between his cheeks. Isaac moaned with delight, turning to look at the satisfaction covering John's features. He didn't know what the hell he was doing. It had been a long time since his last experience with some naive marine... and now roles reversed he didn't think he could take control from John if he wanted to.

John prepped himself, spitting in his palm as he slicked himself up, pressing into his entrance. The Spartan gritted his teeth from the burn, but endorphins kicked in immediately as John continued to press. His thrusts caused Isaac to pull himself forward from the feeling, every instinct screaming at him to let him get away from the Chief as he fucked him slowly. A hand slid under his jaw, craning his head as John forced him to the side. Teeth sunk into the crook of his neck, the bite was not gentle, he swore he felt blood trickle down his neck. The pace picked up, each thrust sending a blast of pleasure through his body, bed moving with John's weight. His teeth scraped over his shoulder, being replaced by lips. John turned Isaac's head back to meet his lips. His body contorted in such a way he couldn't be bothered to protest, only moans pressed past them. Sweat prickled on John's forehead. His other hand pressed square into his back, making it easier to enter the man below him. His lips trailed from the kiss, a breathy gasp tickled at the Petty Officer's ear, tingling down his neck and shoulders.

He could hear the enjoyment in his low voice. Isaac pressed his hips up, pressing back into his thick cock. His head rubbing into the sheets below him. John no longer held his cries in as he moaned loudly, hips becoming a bit more erratic as he began to slam into him, the bed starting to creak louder and louder against their movements. John set himself back on his knees, pulling Isaac with him. He used the position to grip the mans hips tighter, grasp bruising the light skin below it. He pushed Isaac's forward with his strong grip, starting to repeatedly slam him against his hips- sending his shaft him mercilessly deeper inside of him. A hand pressed against the wall to stop Isaac from smashing his head against the concrete. The pair began to grow louder with their cries, unashamed, Isaac began to pant heavily, wrist aching from impact. His legs quaked with need as he tried to stroke himself but ultimately failing as he moaned loudly at his climax. But John hadn't stopped there. He worked himself harder and faster with a speed that only a Spartan could make, fucking Isaac through to his own orgasm.

John rolled his neck forward to less against Isaac's shoulder, hips quivering under the intense pleasure of coming. He groaned, biting into the fleshy part of the others back shoulder before he slipped over to his side and fell to his back. He gasped gently for air, hand laying over his chest. Isaac star3d over the other man as he watched him quietly, smirking.

"What?" John asked, not opening his eyes, only knowing that the other man was staring at him. Isaac shook his head, resting his head in the covers for several long moments. John breath evened out before he had passed out laying on his back. Isaac laid there, staring at the Spartans glistening chest as he sat up, tugging up his pants. He watched in the dimly lit room, watching the others chest rise and fall, thinking maybe he should go back to his room. Maybe it was rude to just leave, however, Isaac didn't want to be an unwelcome guest regardless of what had just happened.

Isaac closed the door behind him- heading back to his room. A weight lifted off his shoulders for the time being. It was time to catch some sleep.


End file.
